Jack M. Martins's posts related to Health Care

State Senator Jack M. Martins met with students from throughout the 7th Senate District, including Elmont, Hempstead, Bellerose Terrace, Westbury, South Floral Park and New Cassell, to discuss school-based health centers. The group of high school seniors met with Senator Martins to advocate for preventative and basic health care coverage for young people who do not have health care coverage. Winthrop University Hospital currently funds the program that provides primary care services to young people.

On Wednesday, Senator Jack M. Martins got a visit at his district office in Garden City Park from New Hyde Park Village Trustee Donald Barbieri and representatives from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to discuss issues involving MS and the society, which serves thousands of people affected by MS. Trustee Barbieri is a dedicated advocate for the society.

Senator Jack M. Martins recently delivered a speech to the staff at Winthrop University Hospital.

“Whether it’s through the use of hi-tech innovations, performing open heart surgery, or providing newborn services, the staff at Winthrop has faithfully provided quality care to our friends and neighbors for over 100 years,” he said during the speech. “Healthcare remains a priority in our state. The budget implements reforms in order to make Medicaid in New York State more efficient.”

Senator Martins spoke about the amendments to Medicaid that were included in the budge, including a cap on the future rate of growth of Medicaid spending.

The New York State Senate today approved legislation to enable individuals with autism spectrum disorders to receive insurance coverage for screening, diagnosis and treatment. The bill (S.4005A), sponsored by Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R, Merrick), would save tens of thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses spent by families caring for individuals with autism and address insurance companies’ refusal to cover costs for autism treatments and therapies.

Autism Spectrum Disorders affect individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 110 children, including 1 in 70 boys, are currently affected with autism.

This week I write to you about a subject that touches the lives of just about everyone in some way: autism. Perhaps you know a child who suffers from it and the family who struggles with it. Maybe you don’t know anyone personally but admire the local family you see about town who determinedly shares a special love with their autistic child. Or, perhaps it is your child and your family. If so, you already know that one in every 110 children is diagnosed to be within the autism spectrum and while there is debate over diagnostic criteria, we know that more and more of our children are locked in this invisible prison.

The New York State Senate today passed legislation to provide stronger preventative health care for women. The bill (S.1883A), sponsored by Senator John Flanagan (R-C-I, East Northport), requires insurance companies to cover the cost of supplemental screening for women who have dense breast tissue or who are at greater risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Senator Jack M. Martins welcomed nursing students from Molloy College to Albany as he met with them to discuss issues important to nursing. "I commend these student for choosing such a noble career as nursing. I wish them much success and look forward to meeting with them again to discuss healthcare issues that are important to all of us," said Senator Martins

Senator Jack M. Martins recently congratulated Dr. Mary Carlson for her work for Shoes For All, a non-profit organization Dr. Carlson founded to collect and distribute shoes to those less fortunate and in desperate need of footwear.

Dr. Carlson, podiatrist with an office located in Williston Park, ran her first shoe drive at a local street fair in September 2010. The tremendous community support encouraged her to continue her outreach service. The result was Shoes For All, which is making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate by providing shoes, which will ultimately prevent foot health problems.

I often marvel at the resiliency of the human spirit. More often than not it’s reflected in a person’s grace in dealing with adversity, accepting that which cannot be changed, and persevering despite the challenge. This resiliency is vibrantly displayed in those who, through a condition at birth or misfortune later in life, rely on prosthetics to go about what we would otherwise consider routine. For them, access to a prosthetic limb is their link to the pursuit of a normal, everyday life and modern healthcare has come a long way in that regard. That’s why what I’m about to share is so implausible, so unreasonable, that you’ll undoubtedly be as offended as I was to hear it.